FAQ'S

HOW DO I APPLY OR RENEW MY PASSPORT?

In the U.S., you can apply for/renew a passport at the Embassy of Sweden in Washington, D.C., the Consulate General in San Francisco or at the Consulate General in New York.

Swedish citizens can also apply for/renew a passport while visiting Sweden. You apply at a police station. This is quicker and cheaper than applying abroad. Information is available on the website of the Swedish police.

Normally, you can pick up a new passport within a week when applying in Sweden. It is also possible to request to pick it up at an Embassy or Consulate, for an additional fee, as long as you have a valid passport to travel back on.

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WHY IS IT NOT POSSIBLE TO APPLY FOR A PASSPORT ONLINE OR AT THE CONSULATE IN LA?

According to the Swedish Passport Law, Swedish passports must be equipped with biometrics including the passport holder's headshot and  fingerprints. 

Collection of biometric data needs to be done for each new passport application. The passport holders’ biometric data is only stored in the passport chip itself. As the biometric data is not stored in a database, it is not possible to retrieve it to reuse in future passport/national id-card applications. This means that personal attendance is required for each passport application.

Honorary consulates are not equipped with photo stations and are not authorized to issue ordinary passports/national ID cards.

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HOW DO I APPLY FOR AN EMERGENCY PASSPORT?

If you lost your passport or your passport is expired and you need to travel very urgently, you may apply for an emergency passport. An emergency passport issued by an embassy/consulate has limited validity and is non-machine readable. It is issued in an A4-size format and is valid for a single trip to Sweden only, or to your country of residence. If you need to transit, it is the applicant’s responsibility to check that the country of transit and the airline accepts a Swedish emergency passport. The best way to do this is to contact the relevant embassy or travel agent. An emergency passport is a travel document and is not equivalent to an ID.

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The following applies when applying for an emergency passport:

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-In person appointment. Please call during our phone hours to make an appointment.

-Valid photo ID, e.g., driver’s license.

-The expired Swedish passport. If lost, Notification of Lost Passport stating passport is lost.  If stolen, Police Report stating passport is stolen. 

-Original documentation proving U.S. resident status (valid Visa or Green Card), or U.S. citizenship (original Naturalization Certificate, or notarized copy of the same).

-Two (2) passport photos taken straight ahead with a light background and a neutral facial expression, and not older than six (6) months.

-Payment in the amount of $172.00 for the application fee.

-Completed Verification of Swedish Citizenship form.

-Completed Application for Emergency Passport (to be completed at the Consulate). 

-Itinerary/ticket (printed).  Please note that you need to have a flight booked before we can issue the emergency passport.

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CAN I APPLY FOR A PASSPORT IN SWEDEN IF I LIVE ABROAD?

Yes, Swedish citizens living abroad can always apply for a new passport in Sweden. You can also have the passport sent for collection at an embassy or consulate in the US (or elsewhere) if you state this at the time of application.

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HOW DO I APPLY FOR NAME AND COORDINATION NUMBER?

To be able to apply for a passport for a child born abroad, your child must first have been assigned a coordination number. An embassy/consulate will request a coordination number based on the child’s name application, which is submitted in person at an embassy/consulate.

The application is free of charge and can be filed at all Swedish Consulates in the U.S., as well as at the Embassy of Sweden in Washington D.C. The child must be present when the application is filed, and must be accompanied by at least one legal guardian/parent. Processing time is about 8-12 weeks. Please visit the Swedish Embassy’s website for more information about the documents required.

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MOVING TO SWEDEN?

All foreign nationals – including U.S. citizens – who plan to move to Sweden or stay in Sweden for more than 90 days need to obtain a residence permit before entering the country.

The requirements and how to submit an application can be found on the Swedish Migration Agency website.

You may also find more information about moving to Sweden on Sweden.se

Kindly note that the Consulate of Sweden LA does not handle any kind of migration matters.

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I WANT TO APPLY FOR A SCHENGEN VISA?

A Schengen visa is required for persons of certain nationalities who wish to visit the Schengen countries. A Schengen visa can be issued for a maximum of 90 days. U.S citizens do not need a visa to visit Sweden if the visit is 90 days or less. Visa applications for travel to Sweden can be submitted to the five VFS Global Visa Application Centers in the USA.

To schedule an appointment at any of the five Visa Application Centers, call (347) 329-2738 or book online at VFS Global.

Kindly note that the Consulate of Sweden LA does not handle visa applications.

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LOSING OR RETAINING SWEDISH CITIZENSHIP

If you have become a Swedish citizen by application you cannot lose your Swedish citizenship if you move abroad. If you are a Swedish citizen and were born abroad and are residing outside of Sweden, there are some circumstances under which you may lose your Swedish citizenship. You will lose your Swedish citizenship when you reach the age of 22, if you

•  were born outside of Sweden

•  have never lived in Sweden and

•  have not visited Sweden in circumstances which indicate an attachment to the country.

You will not lose your Swedish citizenship if this would cause you to become stateless.

To avoid losing your Swedish citizenship, you can apply to retain it. You must do this after you have turned 18 but before you reach the age of 22. You do not need to make such an application if, at any time, you have lived in Sweden or if you have regularly visited Sweden. If you don’t apply before you turn 22, you can apply for declaration of citizenship. Information is available on Migrationsverket’s website.

 

REGAIN SWEDISH CITIZENSHIP

If you have lost your Swedish citizenship as a result of becoming a citizen of another country prior to July 1, 2001, you may regain it by submitting a request to the Swedish Migration Agency. The fee is 475 SEK and is to be paid directly to the Migration Agency.

 

VOTING ABROAD

Swedes residing abroad can vote in advance in Swedish elections either by mail or in person at Embassies and Consulates.

Swedes residing abroad remain in the Electoral Register (röstlängden) for ten years after their emigration is recorded in the Tax Agency’s population register (folkbokföringen).

After ten years, a notification form (“Ny adress/röstlängd för utvandrad”) must be submitted to the Tax Agency to remain in the Electoral Register for an additional ten years. The form must be received by the Tax Agency no later than 30 days prior to Election Day.

Even if a notification is not made 30 days prior to Election Day, Swedish voters abroad may still vote in the election – by mail or in person. A vote from abroad counts as long as it is received by the Election Authority no later than the day before Election Day. Voting in an election is considered a request to remain in the electoral register for the following ten years.

Read more on the Election Authority’s website (Valmyndigheten)

Do I need a voting card to vote? – No, you can vote without a voting card, both by mail and in person.

I’m not sure I’m in the Electoral Register (röstlängden), can I still vote? – Yes, you can – as long as you meet the eligibility requirements above. And your vote counts as a reregistration for another 10 years.

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DRIVER'S LICENSE

As of May 1, 2017, it is no longer possible to renew your Swedish driver license if you are residing abroad and have deregistered from the Population Register (utskriven).

The new regulations mean that a new driver license card cannot be issued but your authorization to drive still remains with the Swedish Transport Agency. During a temporary visit in Sweden, you can still drive on a U.S. driver license or a valid Swedish ID.

Upon moving back to Sweden, you can apply for a new driver license card without having to take any tests again. Any limitation in validity is stated on the back of the driver license.

If you are only temporarily residing in the U.S. and are still registered with the Population Registry (folkbokförd), you can apply for a new license and collect it at any consulate/embassy.

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I NEED A TRANSLATOR?

Please visit STiNA – Swedish Translators in North America.

 

SERVICE FEES

All service fees are listed in US dollar and effective from January 1, 2024.

• Ordinary passport: $152

• National Identity Card: $152

• Temporary passport: $171

• Pick-up of new passport at a consular location other than the one at which the application was submitted:

  • Processing fee (payable at pick-up): $19

  • Shipping: $10

• Certificates and legalizations: $19

• Pick-up of driver’s license: $42

• If driver’s license was issued and paid for in Sweden: $19

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STUDY IN SWEDEN

Looking for a study destination?
Sweden is home to 40 outstanding universities.
To learn more about studying in Sweden please visit Study in Sweden.  

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